Mott MacDonald

Applications close midnight Sunday 18th November - Apply Now to avoid
disappointment

We’re a global engineering, management and development consultancy
focused on guiding our clients through many of the planet’s most
intricate challenges.

The needs of the world’s population are changing fast. Our 16,000-strong
network of experts find opportunities in complexity, so our graduate
schemes will enable you to enhance your skills, knowledge and experience
with the right support and guidance every step of the way.

Our engineers, project and programme managers take leading roles on some
of the world’s highest profile projects, turning obstacles into elegant,
sustainable solutions. By challenging norms and unlocking creativity, we
deliver long-lasting economic, environmental and social outcomes for
societies around the globe. Yet design and management are just the tip
of a deep iceberg. Our global team is comprised of internationally
recognised environmentalists, planners, economists, project finance
advisors, cost consultants, business strategists and more.

Whatever your career goals are, you can be confident that at Mott
MacDonald we will help you meet your ambitions and beyond.

Being employee-owned allows us to choose the work taken on and focus on
the issues that are important. Independent in thought and action, we
advise what is genuinely right for our clients, our staff, and
communities – not what is easy. We want to do a great job for everyone
involved.

Our graduate schemes will support you in gaining experience across all
core areas, developing your technical skills and knowledge with the
support of a chartered mentor and a dedicated learning and development
team. Using all the resources available to you, you will have the
opportunity to work on exciting projects while making your career
journey to chartered status. As soon as you join us, you will become a
member of the Mott MacDonald Academy, a structured development programme
for all entry-level professionals. The programme will introduce you to
key business and commercial competencies, helping you to drive your
career forward while improving your personal effectiveness, customer
focus, communication, and teamwork.

Case Studies

Name: Anne Olubukola Adeniji

Role: Graduate process engineer

Why did you decide to apply to Mott MacDonald?I chose to join
Mott MacDonald as a graduate for the amazing career prospects the
company offers to its new graduates. Additionally, I had been aware of
the company while studying at the University of Sheffield, so applying
for a role within the company was an evident next step, given my
interest in working within engineering and consultancy.

What did your friends and family think when you accepted the position?The
day I received the call that I was being offered a role at Mott
MacDonald, I shed a lot of tears, it was highly unexpected. I had just
finished my final exam the day before, so knowing I was secured with a
job was an overwhelming and gratifying feeling. Telling my friends and
family, they were elated for me, given the role was as a graduate
process engineer, making everything I had worked for over four years at
university so much more worth it. They were baffled I’d be living in
Wales, but they quickly came to terms when I listed some benefits of
living in Wales, one being my independence.

What has been your favourite moment since joining?I have made
so many memories and had several moments since joining in September
2017. However, my favourite moment would be when I was awarded ‘Best
Newcomer 2017’ at the staff Christmas party. This made me so happy, as
it meant I had made a positive impact to the company socially and
practically within the short four months I had been working. I keep my
award on my desk as a reminder and it makes for great conversation when
new people come and see me at my desk.

What has been the most exciting project you’ve contributed to?I
am currently working on a wastewater treatment phosphorous removal
project for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. The site is situated in south wales,
which makes for a lovely commute to site through the Brecon Beacons.
This project is very exciting as I am the process engineer helping to
design the new innovative technology for tertiary solids removal. The
design uses chemistry and other prior knowledge of wastewater treatment
I had gained in my time at university. More so, I am excited to see the
technology commence construction and commissioning.

Has the role been what you expected? My role is very active
and requires frequent collaboration with engineers from other
disciplines. This allows me to learn a lot on other engineering aspects
I would have never had known about. More so, I was not expecting to be
visiting sites so early into my employment. I get amazing support and
encouragement from my line manager to go to site from the onset to get a
better understanding of site, construction, commissioning and how units
were operating practically. This then helps me to apply the practical
knowledge gained to my designs.

What is your work/life balance like?I work Monday to Friday
and have my evenings and weekends free. The work/life balance is
excellent. Each office has a sports and social committee, one of which I
am currently the secretary. We plan meet ups and events for Fridays and
weekends, weekday sports games (e.g. badminton club, table tennis club,
football sessions) lunchtime walks and social activities to partake in
at the office. Staff wellbeing and happiness is key at Mott MacDonald,
so maintaing a good work/life balance is so important to us.

Tell us a bit more about you. Do you have an interesting fun fact
about yourself/party trick?I wouldn’t know where to start for a
fun fact about myself. I suppose, a fun fact about myself is that I
speak three languages fluently and learning two additional languages.
Not Welsh yet! In fact, I use all three languages (English, Spanish and
Yoruba) with some colleagues at work. Mott MacDonald really is the
perfect employer for me, connecting everyone everywhere.

What advice would you give to someone applying to Mott MacDonald?For
anyone looking to apply for Mott MacDonald, it is one of the best
companies to work for, particularly for graduates. The company really
invests in your career and goals through the Mott MacDonald Academy.
Financially, you have a great start with a good graduate pay. Moreover,
you have many opportunities offered to you on a regular basis to
represent the company, chances to invest in yourself through attending
conferences and training programmes, practical experiences are abundant,
adding to your career development plan for those looking to get
chartered. Plus, the company supports graduates with the chartership
programme which is very career rewarding.

Name: Efe Madranefe

Role: Graduate mechanical engineer

Why did you decide to apply to Mott MacDonald?I decided to
apply to Mott MacDonald when it was advertised in my university. I was
struck by the diversity of the projects and opportunities Mott MacDonald
offer. I have felt that the company thrives to make the world a better
place which aligned with what I want to achieve in my career and life.

What did your friends and family think when you accepted the position?My
friends and family were very excited to hear that I was joining Mott
MacDonald, as they knew how successful the company is.

What has been your favourite moment since joining?My
favourite moment was the Mott MacDonald Academy weekend away. The
two-day event taught me a lot about management, leadership and teamwork.
I had the chance to meet many graduates and we developed our
communication skills through many workshops.

What has been the most exciting project you’ve contributed to?The
most exciting project I contributed to was the upgrade of a water
treatment works in Scotland where we were asked to design new clean
water storage. I was the graduate mechanical engineer on the project
where I designed new pumping stations as well as utilising existing ones.

Has the role been what you expected?Within my fifth month I
was offered a secondment as a project coordinator at a client’s office.
I am learning a lot and enjoying every moment.

What is your work/life balance like?If you are in Mott
MacDonald you are in a culture where work/life balance is respected, and
it is granted to you. With things like flexible working, life can be
easily enjoyed.

Tell us a bit more about you. Do you have an interesting fun fact
about yourself/party trick?I love clay pigeon shooting and wine
tasting.

What advice would you give to someone applying to Mott MacDonald?Be
honest and prepared. Mott MacDonald will teach you everything you need
to know as long as you show you can and are ready to learn. Be honest as
in the interviews your interviewers will be experts in their field
therefore be sure you are not saying something you are not sure about.
Finally, don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Name: Sarah Hughes

Role: Environmental consultant

Why did you decide to apply to Mott MacDonald?I decided to
apply to Mott MacDonald after finding their graduate scheme online. It
was everything I was looking for in a career and advertised
opportunities for development and training. I read up on the company,
and their core values and strong environmental focus reinforced that I
wanted to work here.

What did your friends and family think when you accepted the position?They
were happy for me! I secured the job before I left university, which
made the transition into work much easier.

What has been your favourite moment since joining?My
favourite moment so far has been working out on site, supervising a
ground investigation. It provided a great opportunity to see a project
through the design stage and to work with sub-contractors to collect the
ground information required.

What has been the most exciting project you have contributed to?The
most exciting project I have contributed to so far is HS2, which I have
been involved with since joining the company 10 months ago. This is a
huge project which requires significant contribution from environmental
teams, and I collaborate daily with ecologists, landscape architects,
heritage consultants, land quality teams and many others. My primary
role is co-ordinating the environmental input into one section of the
line, but also involves contributing to documents and reports. This
experience has helped to increase my understanding of engineering,
design and project management.

Has the role been what you expected?I expected the role to be
very busy but rewarding, and it has lived up to this! I didn’t expect to
spend lots of my time working with people in offices around the UK. This
helps you to grow a huge network of people you can call on for
assistance or advice.

What is your work/life balance like?Great! Our office is very
sociable and active, so even when you have a busy week at work there is
something to look forward to at lunchtime or in the evening. My
colleagues are really friendly and helpful, so if I was ever struggling
with my workload I would feel comfortable asking for help to deliver
work.

Tell us a bit more about you. Do you have a fun/ interesting fact
about yourself/party trick?I spent five years on a HM Coastguard
search and rescue team in Mid Wales. It was very challenging but has
provided me with a range of transferrable skills which help me in my
day-to-day work.

What advice would you give to someone applying to Mott MacDonald?I
would recommend that they try to gain some experience in this industry.
This will give you an insight into our day-to-day work, challenges, and
expectations. If you aren’t able to do work experience or an internship
(I didn’t!), try and stand out in a different way. This could be
volunteering, having a keen hobby, or many other things. Great grades
alone won’t get you that job, show your personality!

Name: Tom Dodson

Role: Graduate management consultant

Why did you decide to apply to Mott MacDonald?I was
originally drawn to Mott MacDonald as I wanted to work for an
organisation whose projects had a large social impact, both in the UK
and globally. However, after more research, I decided to apply due to
the emphasis Mott MacDonald places on their people, as opposed to solely
focussing on commercial objectives. I loved the focus on Equality,
Diversity, and Inclusion, and the push for promoting ethical practice.
In short, I was keen to work for an organisation comparable to The Big
Four, but who conduct themselves in a different, more sustainable

What did your friends and family think when you accepted the position?Both
my mum and brother also work for engineering consultancy companies, so
my family had a strong understanding of the sector. While Mott MacDonald
may not be as large as some of our competitors such as AECOM, our
reputation for maximising economic and social impact is unquestionable.
A point repeated by both my friends and family.

What has been your favourite moment since joining?While I
have loved my project work, my favourite moments must relate to the
fantastic people I have met and am lucky enough to now call my friends.
Mott MacDonald places such emphasis on ensuring their open, friendly,
and diverse culture is sustained and demonstrated by their new starters.
The graduate scheme is also set up in such a way that we are encouraged
to network outside of our immediate teams and develop a cohort of our
own. I am also lucky enough to have been involved in the recruitment
process for the 2018 graduate intake, providing me with a unique view of
what is looked for on an application, or at an assessment centre.

What has been the most exciting project you’ve contributed to?My
most exciting project is 30 Hours for the Department for Education.
Since September 2017, all three- and four-year-olds in England are
eligible for 30 hours of funded childcare. The policy aim is to reengage
parents with the workforce, with a specific focus on families from
disadvantaged backgrounds. My role within this project is running the
project management office, liaising between local authorities, our
delivery partners, and the government.

My favourite part of this project involved designing a data collection
form to be sent to and populated by all 152 local authorities in
England. It is then my responsibility to analyse this data, establish
how the policy roll out is going, and identify any emerging themes. We
then present these findings back to the client at a one-day workshop
held in Westminster. I love the ability to shape our future work and see
the tangible impact of an increase in the number of children in funded
places.

Was the role what you expected, or was there anything unexpected that
you really enjoy?Yes and no. As my family already work in the
sector, I understood the sort of work I would be doing, for example:
stakeholder engagement, project management, data analysis etc. However,
I was not prepared for the level of responsibility which I would be
given.

For example, by the end of week two, I was producing reports to be
shared with the Minster for Children. By the end of my first month, I
was visiting Westminster, meeting with the client, and providing local
authority updates regarding the progress of the policy roll out. And by
end of my first quarter, I was actively shaping the future of our work,
through my data analysis activity. While this was difficult at times, I
had plenty of support from my team, and have developed immeasurably as a
result.

What is your work/life balance like?Mott MacDonald place a
strong emphasis on ensuring wellbeing and a healthy work/life balance.
For example, I will rarely stay in the office past 5pm. Also, due to the
nature of our work, working remotely from home occasionally is a huge
benefit. Having said that, all the graduates are happy to work late
occasionally to meet a deadline, if and when our projects require it.

Tell us a bit more about you. Do you have an interesting fun fact
about yourself/party trick?Just before I started university, I
was part of the Young Magic Circle (YMC). During my time in this club, I
won the YMC’s Stage Magician of the Year at their one-day convention,
along with YMC Member of the Year. As a result, I then toured around the
UK performing for ever growing crowds in numerous different shows and
events. While this hobby has now subsided, the presentation skills it
taught me will prove invaluable in my future career.

What advice would you give to someone applying to Mott MacDonald?Be
yourself and think wider. That is, when I interviewed I was the only
graduate without a master’s degree. I was sure that I would be refused
the job as a result which evidently was not the case. Mott MacDonald are
not solely focused on academic achievements and professional experience.
Rather, they want you to think wider and understand what you bring to
the table. This could be in terms of your extracurricular work,
volunteering, hobbies (such as magic), and the competences these have
equipped you with. You are the best and only version of you, so stop
trying to be the person you think the interviewer is looking for, just
be you.